272 THE MEANING OF EVOLUTION 



many are awakened to the sense of their duty to so- 

 ciety. Persons who, of themselves, might be willing 

 to live low and godless lives, dare not do so in the 

 face of society when our social ideals are finer. I 

 believe there is the utmost hope that within two gen- 

 erations our young men and young women will scorn 

 meannesses which we are accepting with entire com- 

 placency. 



A close acquaintance with thousands of young men 

 and young women running through an experience of 

 twenty-five years has taught me to believe that our 

 young people of to-day are altogether cleaner of 

 mind, of tongue, and of life than were their parents. 

 There is freer, franker discussion of many things 

 that their parents would scarcely have dared mention, 

 yet I feel sure the moral tone is distinctly higher. 

 I look with entire hopefulness to an early season 

 when the young man who asks a woman to share her 

 life with him will be met with the entirely proper 

 question, "Have you kept your life clean for this 

 event ?" I believe that unless the answer can be in the 

 affirmative the young woman will not be able to have 

 admiration enough for the young man to cover un- 

 cleanness in his life. 



There is one temporary phase of present life which 

 seems discouraging. The increase in the cost of liv- 

 ing, and still more rapid increase in the standard of 



